Lure the Snake Out of Its Hole (Part 2)

Night.

Shangjing First Signal Tower.

As the city’s landmark, this 600-meter-tall steel structure—tower and antenna mast combined—was the tallest artificial point in Shangjing.

Even ordinary people felt breathless just looking up at it. Only maintenance workers used to heights or thrill-seeking climbers ever reached the top.

Yet, at the very peak—where even birds rarely flew—sat a lone figure.

Aviation warning lights blinked on and off, making the silhouette flicker in and out of existence.

The wind howled, but the figure remained still—only the pale linen cloak flapping wildly in the gale betraying the passage of time.

“Tonight, let’s eat something different?”

“What’s different?”

Baiyan pulled her hood low, hiding her face and body beneath the cloak like a desert pilgrim.

“At our current state, hunting ordinary humans barely helps us recover. We need something richer—other aberrations, or… magical girls.”

“Hunt a magical girl? You’ve got some nerve.”

Baiyan let out a cold, mocking laugh.

“Have you forgotten how you ended up like this?”

“Hey, don’t be so harsh. Those were four magical girls nearing Four Pillars level,” Mengyan explained.

“I actually took down three of them. I just got careless at the end.”

“That white-haired one—she resisted my Nightmare Bind completely. Honestly, I still don’t get how.”

“At our current strength, revenge is impossible. But hunting a rookie or two? More than doable. Interested, little girl?”

Baiyan didn’t answer. She gazed at the distant cityscape.

From this height, the metropolis of millions felt like something she could crush in her palm.

“Where would we find a rookie magical girl?” she asked.

“The three we fought last time, for example. But don’t touch the blue one. Avoid her at all costs. The others…” Mengyan said.

“How about the red one? She seems close to you. Maybe she’ll surrender without a fight… hehe…”

“…You say that.”

Baiyan glared at her right hand—the one holding Mengyan’s eye. Then, she clenched her fist.

Blood slowly seeped from between her fingers.

“Ow, ow, ow—I’m sorry!”

Mengyan’s voice squeaked in pain. Baiyan slowly relaxed her grip.

“The first time, I thought you were joking. But only the first time.”

She stared at her bleeding hand, her voice like wind from the underworld.

“Phew… scary. I almost got crushed to death.”

“Then… what about the yellow one?” she asked.

“The yellow one? Yes. Go for her.”

Baiyan nodded.

“For some reason… I just don’t like her.”

She recalled that night’s battle.

The yellow magical girl had carried You Xi away—so smoothly, so elegantly—like a celebrity. Though You Xi wasn’t hers, the feeling of having something precious stolen burned in Baiyan’s heart.

“Let’s hunt her.”

She bit her finger, her hollow eyes flickering with dark excitement.

“Magical girls often work in teams,” Mengyan said. “But they do split up after missions. With enough patience, we’ll find the right moment.”

“And one more thing.

Stop all activity for now.

Until we find the chance to hunt the yellow one, every move increases our risk of exposure. Their tracking system hasn’t updated—right now, we’re in the shadows. Don’t lose that advantage.”

****

“…Understood.”

“Alright. That’s it for tonight.”

After another routine patrol, Tidal and Huangxing said their goodbyes.

Usually, Huangxing would head back to Mo Li’s place and take a cab home.

But tonight, she was unusually energetic. She kept flying as Huangxing, soaring over the city until she reached a quiet wetland park.

Come to think of it… this was the same park where the three of them first met.

Out of curiosity, she looked around. Sure enough, she found the holes dug by the Mole Men. Following her memory, she even located the tree she’d pinned with her arrow that night.

Is this a nostalgic trip? A strange feeling stirred in Baiyan’s chest. These past two weeks had felt so long—so much had happened, so many unexpected things.

As she reflected, a rustling sound came from the woods behind her.

Wildlife? Huangxing instinctively turned.

By dim light, she saw a figure in a pale linen cloak—face hidden—slowly approaching.

Clearly, this was…

Feeling the threat, she raised her hand to summon her weapon.

“Don’t move.”

The figure raised its right hand—already charged with dark-purple magic.

“You know it’s too late, right?” the figure—Baiyan—spoke.

“Yeah. It is.”

Huangxing sighed, resigned.

Even if she reacted faster, it was already over.

But the enemy didn’t attack immediately. Maybe she should hear her out.

“You’re Mengyan, right?” Huangxing asked.

Baiyan didn’t deny it. Then she asked:

“Where’s the red one—the one with you?”

In truth, that was the only reason she hadn’t attacked yet. Otherwise, the fight would’ve ended before Huangxing even turned around.

“You care about her?” Huangxing suddenly smiled.

“Yeah. She’s my best friend, after all… haha. A magical girl and an aberration—best friends. Not that I blame you, but that’s some dark humor, don’t you think?”

Baiyan stayed silent. But the dark-purple light in her hand flared—expressing her anger for her.

Huangxing ignored the hostile energy, sighing:

“Not that I blame you, but is this really how you repay someone who trusted you? You had someone as kind and honest as You Xi by your side—how did you fall this far?”

She looked at Baiyan with pity. Baiyan trembled—clearly stung by the words.

“Angry? Good. If you can still feel anger at my words… you’re not beyond saving,” Huangxing said, smiling, relaxing.

“Save your breath. You’ve already lost.”

Baiyan suppressed the storm of emotions stirred by Huangxing’s words. She aimed her hand at Huangxing’s position.

“I’ll make you dream a nightmare… one you’ll never wake up from.”

“Is that so? Before that… can I ask you one question?”

Huangxing narrowed her eyes—revealing a sly, almost cunning smile that didn’t belong on a girl her age.

“…Do I really look that much like Magical Girl Huangxing?”